Authentic Cooking Experiment: In Search of The Truly Great Chocolate Chip Cookie

Everywhere you look these days there are recipes that claim to make the BEST chocolate chip cookie! Since we all know they can't all possibly be the BEST, I decided once and for all to put them to the test. The three recipes used below seems to be the most popular, created by very creditable sources. In order to conduct a fair comparison, they were all made at the same time and sampled within a short period from each other. The first batch came from...

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Authentic Cooking Experiment: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cupcakes are awesome, however I never understood when anyone would want one that is soaked with red dye. Yes, the color is pretty, but why make an unhealthy food even worst? However given that it's Valentines day and these are one of my husband's favorite I thought the timing to be perfect. So I used the recipe as laid out by the Georgetown Cupcakes. Ingredients:3 1/4 cups all purpose flour1 tsp salt12 tbs unsalted European style butter at room...

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Authentic Cooking Experiment: Braised Short Ribs w/ Potato Purée and Swiss Chard

Beef short ribs is one of my favorite cuts, as they are tender and meaty. However to make a good braised short rib takes time as most recipes calls for them to cook in the oven for about 3 hours. In addition, often they are required to be coated in a rub the night before. So why bother going through all this trouble? Because the results is the most succulent and moist piece of meat ever to be served. As for the actual recipe, this dish was made...

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Authentic Cooking Experiment: Chinese Scallion Pancake

Crunchy, flaky, warm and savory, that is how a perfect scallion pancake should be. When I was young in Shanghai I remembered buying them fresh from the street stalls as they were cooked. Unfortunately as with many things here in Philly, a good warm freshly cooked scallion pancake is hard to find. The restaurants that does serve them here have marked up a cheap street food to something that is grossly over priced. Given the simple ingredients required...

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Authentic Cooking Experiment: Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream

There are many great desserts out there and I'm sure everyone has their favorites, mine is hands down Mochi Ice Cream. These little ice cream ball wrapped with Japanese rice cake offer a sweet melty center with a slightly chewy outer skin. The combination is simply delightful. However as I'm sure most people who has brought these have realized just how expensive they can be (I think in Philly they are about $4-$5 for 6 pieces). In one sitting I can...

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